INTERVIEW: Rayna Flye's Most Satisfying Research is Found Along the Way

Welcome to the Tuesday Author Interview with Christina Boyd for the Who, What, When, Where, and Why.

CHRISTINA: I first met Rayna Flye in the Facebook group Chick Lit Chat HQ, where we both help to admin. We share an interest in dogs, flower gardening, and books (of course), and we live in the Pacific Northwest. How could I not want to interview her?

Do you listen to music while writing? Do you make up Playlists for your books?

RAYNA: Yes, absolutely! I have playlists set up for each book in my series. I find the songs and the writing go hand-in-hand. Sometimes, I’ll add a song that I think represents either an aspect of the story or a character. Other times, I’ll be stuck on where to go with a character (sometimes I’ve literally written her into a corner) and then will hear a song that helps me figure out how to get her out. That song instantly gets added to the list. By the end, it feels like the playlist and the book are perfectly synced.

CHICK LIT CHAT HQ Facebook group

CHRISTINA: I love how it helps you write yourself out of a corner.

When did you first think you had a book to write, and how did you start? 

RAYNA: I’ve always enjoyed writing, but I didn’t have a particular story to tell. At a particularly rough point in my life (I was trying to finish my dissertation, teach classes at the university, plan a wedding, and a move across the country…yeesh), I was feeling overwhelmed and kept having these vivid dreams about this cool female team of spies kicking butt and taking names. Each morning, I’d tell my then-fiancé (now husband) about it until finally, he suggested—whether to encourage me or to distract me from sharing recaps of my dreams daily, I do not know—that I should write a book about them. Once I settled on the plot, I knew I had a book in me and that it was time to get started.

CHRISTINA: That's sometimes the hardest part, committing to get the words on paper.

What do you wish you had known before you started writing a book?

RAYNA: How long the process can be. Even after you type “the end” on a first draft, there’s still so much to do. If you go the traditional route, there’s the long slog of queries and submissions. And then, whether traditional or indie, it’s rounds of edits, rounds of covers, and then waiting for the release date. So, really, once you type “the end,” you’re just getting started.

CHRISTINA: Truer words were never spoken.

What comes first: plot or characters?

RAYNA: Characters, for sure. I’ll sit with them a bit and flesh out their personalities and motivations until I can figure out what their story might be. In my case, it’s a lot of newspaper reading until I come across some real-life scenarios that seem too wacky to be true. Once I have that, I know it’s time to throw my characters into the mix and get a story going.

Secrets, Lies, and Sneaky Spies. Published October 31, 2023

CHRISTINA: What is your current project or latest release?

RAYNA: I’m currently finishing up the sequel to Secrets, Lies, and Sneaky Spies. Unfortunately, I have a bad case of “…squirrel!” distractibility, and I keep finding myself sneaking off to write bits of book three before reminding myself to go back and finish book two.

CHRISTINA: Hahaha! Squirrel!

What’s more difficult to write? A love scene or a love letter or something else?

RAYNA: Oh, I love writing love scenes. I write closed-door, so I suspect that makes it easier. Capturing the anticipation, the longing, the vulnerability before the hero and heroine realize they feel the same way…when it all clicks, it’s so rewarding. I’d find writing a love letter to be much more difficult.

CHRISTINA: Do you hide any secrets in your novels only a select few might know?

RAYNA: Yes! I’ve slipped in a few fun references here and there. Apparently, I watch too much television as I have references to shows such as Alias, The Cosby Show, and a hilarious Swedish series, Solsidan. I have no idea if others have picked up on the references, but it gives me a little chuckle, and that counts for something, right?

CHRISTINA: Oh yes, I loved Alias and The Cosby Show.

Have you gone on an author pilgrimage or research trip? Where and what was the most memorable moment?

RAYNA: My character, Katrina Foster, goes on spy missions abroad, so I’ve been on research trips to Sweden, Canada, and Germany. Memorable moments include accidentally walking headfirst into a protest (which, now that I think about it, has happened to me twice. I really do need to pay better attention to my surroundings), accidentally seeing the start of the changing of the guards, and stumbling across the coziest public library I’ve ever seen, complete with a roaring fireplace. So, for all of the planned research travel, the most educational aspect seems to be found in the happy accidents along the way!

CHRISTINA: I'm always amazed how any kind of research (travel, reading, internet) helps with inspiring scenes and people.

Thanks so much for joining me in this interview. I appreciate your time and candor. I hope you can get Book 2 finished before Book 3.

Rayna Flye, author

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rayna Flye always wanted to be a spy but says she's frequently afraid and can't keep a secret, so that was never going to work. Instead, she chose to write about spies.

By day, she's a researcher, and her nights are spent trying to figure out how to get her character Katrina out of the latest jam. When not writing, Rayna can be found crafting or in the garden. A life-long learner, she skips the lesser C-SPANs to watch C-SPAN 3. Life goals? One day, getting on Jeopardy. She lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband and their drooly Newfoundland. She's a member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association and a 2020 Pitch Wars mentee. She writes about fun, fearless females. A book from her is pretty much always going to include humor, mystery, romance, politics, and spy stuff. Lots and lots of spy stuff.

Her favorite themes are friendship, courage, and overcoming obstacles. Connect with Rayna via her website or on Facebook.